The cave
by Moon09
Summary: Voldemort gives Bellatrix a mission he knows she can't complete.
1. Traitors and rebels

The three Death Eaters were being debriefed by their master. Their mission had failed but they believed it not to be their fault. Now, they just had to convince the Dark Lord that it wasn't.

"My Lord, please understand," said Yaxley, "the situation was complicated. We encountered magic that was way above our heads. Ancient magic that we knew nothing about. We almost perished."

Yaxley was not exaggerating. He and his two companions had gone to the cave in hopes of finding the map their master desired. But the map was protected by such powerful magic that they had all been seriously injured and barely left the cave alive.

"That is hardly relevant," the Dark Lord spoke in his high, cold voice. "This time you will be better prepared and will know what to expect."

"Sir, with all due respect," Dolohov was now trying in what his comrade had failed, "we aren't prepared. We almost died in there. We can't go back or I am sure we will not escape this time."

"I seem to be speaking to deaf ears," Voldemort said getting slightly irritated. "I gave you an order. I need the map. It is essential to my victory. You do want me to succeed, do you not?"

"Of course, My Lord," Yaxley said quickly so to not give his master any reason of doubting their faithfulness. "We would do anything to ensure your victory, but I beg you, do not send us into a suicidal mission."

"Suicidal?" Voldemort spat. "You three are some of my most powerful and skilled wizards; I have no reason to want to get rid of you."

He watched them in silence for a few moments. Their pleading faces seemed almost amusing to him. He pondered on their request and said, "Here's what we will do: I will give you more time to do some research and try to figure out what "ancient" magic is protecting the map and how it can be defeated. Then you will go and bring the map to me without dying in the process."

Voldemort sat content on his throne and Dolohov spoke.

"Sir, we have already done research but we couldn't find anything that will help."

Voldemort was getting impatient with them. "Then you will do more research. Do whatever it takes to get me what I want. I have given you an order. Obey it. Now go."

They didn't move. Yaxley gathered his courage and said, "My Lord I will not go in there again. If I did I would surely die."

He stood there trying to hide his fear by shaping his features into a defiant expression. Voldemort looked at him dangerously. "If you refuse to obey me, the cave would be nothing compared to what I will do to you," he said fixing his ruthless eyes on his servant. He was now waiting for Yaxley to bow and beg for forgiveness and while he was thinking whether he should forgive him or not, Dolohov spoke.

"I am on Yaxley's side," he said with dignity and went to stand beside his comrade. "I too refuse to attempt retrieving the map again."

Voldemort was now both infuriated and a little amused at their rebellion. Poor fools, how dare they defy him? They had no idea what he could do to them. Both Dolohov and Yaxley were looking at him with a mixture of fear of consequence and pride at their conduct. Their colleague, the third Death Eater hadn't decided on what to do. Voldemort spoke.

"What about you, Bella? At least you should know where your loyalties lie."

Bellatrix was staring at her feet considering the situation. Something like this had never occurred before, and now that it did she didn't want to be involved in it. She looked up and met her master's expecting look. Her colleagues' eyes were pleading with her to join them. She realized her decision would be the one to tip the scale.

"Yes master," she said at last. "It lies with you."

Yaxley and Dolohov sighed and rolled their eyes wondering how they could have been so stupid as to expect something different from lap-dog Bella. Voldemort smiled, looking pleased. But none of the persons in the room was giving Bellatrix the benefit of the doubt.

"Yes my loyalty lies with you," she proceeded. "It is therefore my duty to tell you that you are making a mistake. Going to the cave would be the death of us. Yaxley and Dolohov are right." The two men smiled and looked relieved. She went to stand beside them and felt Dolohov patting her back. But she now dreaded the consequences of her choice. Voldemort looked ready to tear all three of them apart.

"I see," he said attempting to sound composed but his voice shook with anger. "All three of you will be severely punished. When I'm done with you, you'll wish you were dead."

Five Death Eaters then came into the room.

"Take these traitors to the dungeons where they are to await punishment. Put them in separate dungeons." Voldemort raised his wand and theirs flew into his hand. Bellatrix, who had been appalled at being called a traitor, tried to object but before she could utter a single syllable, she found herself being dragged out of the room by two of the tough looking Death Eaters. She heard Dolohov, who was struggling near her say, "I'm proud of you, Bell."


	2. Dungeons and dangers

Bellatrix was awakened by a scream coming from one of her fellows' dungeon. She knew her turn would come and she was surprised she hadn't been punished so far. She sat up and looked around her at the already familiar dungeon walls. She had been here for about two days. She counted the days by counting her meals: she ate twice a day.

Footsteps could be heard coming closer and closer. Somebody was now unlocking her door. She started to tremble anxiously and suddenly being in the cave became tempting.

The door opened and Voldemort came in. She stood up and looked at him in expectation.

"Good morning," he said. "I see you are well."

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked suspiciously. Voldemort laughed. "Relax Bella. I wasn't implying anything. Killing you by poisoning your food would be so anticlimactic. Although your decision to betray me could have made you sick."

Disappointment was in his eyes. She couldn't take it anymore.

"My Lord, "she started, falling at his feet, "we didn't betray you. We were just afraid to go back there; we all want you to succeed."

"Get up," he said roughly. "I'm not interested in excuses." She got up and awaited her punishment. But Voldemort didn't seem to want to hurt her.

"Have you noticed how well you have been treated since you were put here?" he asked.

She answered positively.

"Why do you think that is?" he asked and receiving no answer from her, proceeded. "The others received only one meal a day and slept on the floor. In addition to this, they have been tortured almost daily. You haven't. Why is that?"

"Because you think you have a better chance making _me_ change my mind than the others," she answered after a while.

Voldemort's look told her she was correct in her assumption. "And have I succeeded?"

Bellatrix thought the matter over before answering. Apparently the decision was hers once again even though she didn't want to be the one to make it. If she gave in, they would have to go back to the cave; if she refused she would have her master's wrath to deal with. But so far he hadn't harmed her. And going back to the cave would certainly be the death of them.

"So I have to choose between being killed by you and being killed by Yaxley and Dolohov?" she asked with faint amusement. Voldemort said nothing and waited for her to make her decision.

"I am not going back to the cave," she said, then suddenly bursting into tears she added, "Master please forgive me, my intention is not to betray you or to sabotage your mission. I would do whatever it takes for you to advance but don't make me…us go back there." She looked at him pleading for forgiveness and understanding. Voldemort was incapable of both.

"Fine," he said in his usual cold voice which made Bellatrix fear the reprimand she was sure she would receive. He grabbed her arm and they Apparated in the same room the Death Eaters had for the first time disobeyed his orders. Bellatrix was both terrified and relieved to be out of the dungeons at the same time. She was now ready for the punishment she deserved. As long as she didn't have to go back to the cave…

"As I understand you utterly refuse to go back to the cave and get me what I want," Voldemort said sitting down on his marble throne. "There's only one thing to do then: we must forget the map and try to find the crystal without it."

Bellatrix's jaw dropped. She was sure there had be a catch somewhere. Her master would never let a disobedient servant get away that easily. Voldemort, apparently taking no notice of her bewilderment, proceeded by taking his wand and summoning some Death Eaters. Bellatrix watched Alecto, Amycus, Travers, Avery and Rookwood entering. She was happy to see all of them since they were some of the few Death Eaters with whom she got along. Her temper and arrogance made her insufferable to most of her colleagues. The look on their faces indicated that they did not know why they had been summoned.

"I have summoned you here because I have a mission for you," Voldemort said and then added "for _all_ of you," looking at Bellatrix. "I have neither the time nor the patience to inform you what the mission will be. Bellatrix, Yaxley and Dolohov have been involved in it for some time but some…difficulties occurred and now you are the ones who must carry it out. Bellatrix will inform you what it is about. She will also be your leader."

Bellatrix was happily surprised to hear him say this. She had not been the leader of a mission for a very long time and she took this to mean Voldemort had not only forgiven her for her misconduct but also for her recent failures in earlier missions. But the suspicion that all this was too good to be true kept rearing its ugly head.

Voldemort left the room and Bellatrix started to fill the others in on the mission. She informed them that they would have to find a crystal which would greatly help their master but left out the part about the cave and about Yaxley and Dolohov despite Avery's tedious questions and interruptions. She was both anxious and excited at the prospect of finding the crystal and redeeming herself in the eyes of her master with the help of her friends. She was convinced that the mission would go very smooth and she would not have to see the dreadful cave ever again.


	3. A lead

Two days went by. The Death Eaters were working hard trying to find a way of getting the crystal which their Lord so greatly desired. They didn't know exactly what the crystal does but its powers were said to be amazing. According to its legend it could heal wounds, even fatal ones, and give its owner the power to regenerate. The problem the Death Eaters were encountering was that since Dolohov, Yaxley and Bellatrix didn't get the map from the cave and Bellatrix hadn't even told them about it, they had no idea were to find it. Avery and Rookwood who had been working at the Ministry of magic, in the Department of Mysteries before their incarceration in the dreaded Azkaban Prison were able to bring some ancient books which looked like they hadn't been opened in years. They were very heavy and had nasty smelling leather covers. Avery claimed they were written in dragon blood since they were so ancient, "dating back from the time when wizards weren't hiding their superiority," as he proudly told his fellows.

The books were supposed to be returned rather soon before anyone would notice their missing. Because of this the Death Eaters stayed up all night one day trying to find some information that would help them achieve their goal.

The clock was therefore 4 a.m. and they were all beyond exhaustion. Rookwood was yawning and Amycus seemed to have fallen asleep. Only Bellatrix, Avery, Alecto and Travers were still struggling with the books, trying to decipher their incoherent writing. Avery smiled looking pleased. "It says here", he said, "that a man called…well I can't pronounce his name, found both the crystal and its map and hid them. He hid the map in a cave and the crystal in a forest called the Black Forest. I know where this forest is, it's not far from here. I used to go there with my mother sometimes."

Rookwood looked alert for the first in three hours and said, "You used to go there with your mother?" he asked in a tone of disbelief. "Do you know how dangerous the forest is? I've heard terrible legends about it."

"What can I say, my mother was a brave woman. A little elf made wine in the evening, well a lot of it, will do that to a person," Avery said shrugging his shoulders.

Bellatrix was smiling and her happiness had nothing to do with Avery's mother. She smelled victory and felt relieved for the first time in almost a week. The Dark Lord would be so pleased with her if she would pull this mission off.

"All right," she said putting down the book she had been studying. "We will go there and retrieve the crystal then. Avery, you said you know where this forest is. Take Amycus with you (though wake him up first) and your good friend Rookwood and go there see if you can find it. Your mother can go too, "she added and all but Rookwood laughed.

"I don't know about this, "Rookwood said shaking his head. "It seems a bit too easy if you know what I mean." Bellatrix looked at him and considered his remark. Was he right? This had seemed a bit too easy but she had to explore the possibility of the crystal being hid in the forest.

"I'm sure there would be some magic protecting it but nothing spectacular, I expect," she said crossing her legs. "Nothing you three mighty wizards can't work your way through."

Avery was determined to go and even Rookwood seemed willing to follow even though he retained his scepticism.

All three of them set out for the forest the next day. Meanwhile Bellatrix was trying to find out how Dolohov and Yaxley were doing, assuming they were still alive. She was under great stress wondering what they would do if her three colleagues failed in getting the crystal from the forest.

"It's okay, Bella," Alecto had said a day before. "If they can't find it there we would go into the cave to get the map." Bellatrix shuddered just thinking about the cave. She had always been brave but going to the cave was beyond any extent of bravery. It was sheer madness. What had happened there she wished she could forget. Her thoughts returned to Yaxley and Dolohov. She decided to go to the Dark Lord and inquire about their fate.

She knocked on the door twice and receiving a positive reply entered.

The Dark Lord stood by the window as he usually did and looked at bit surprised to see her.

"My Lord, I wish to know what happened to Yaxley and Dolohov," she said.

"Well Bella, your wish is my command," he answered sarcastically and evidently reproaching her for having the audacity to request anything from him since her disobedience. She immediately apologized for taking such a tone with him and asked him once more to tell her about the two.

"At least tell me if they are still alive," she pleaded. Voldemort assured her that they were but didn't say anything else about their situation. A suspicion that he was going to kill them if her mission failed rose in her mind. The last thing she needed now was more pressure. But then again she relaxed thinking that the Dark Lord would not kill two of his followers just to punish her.

"Do you have any leads to the crystal?" he asked interrupting her thoughts.

"Yes, we do," she answered without giving any details. He asked for none. His expression was odd. He looked completely unimpressed with the information she gave him and had apparently given up hope of finding the crystal.

"I hope you know, Bella, that there are two crystals and only one of them is the real one, the one with the powers I need. The man who made the powerful crystal also made a fake one to fool those who would look for it." Bellatrix's jaw dropped at hearing this. This would mean that there was a good chance her cronies were looking for the fake one. Rookwood had been right; it was too easy.

"Don't come here with the fake one," said Voldemort dangerously,"or heads will roll."

She nodded shortly and left the room. She remained leaning against the heavy door for a few moments feeling desperation overtake her senses.


	4. The map

Avery, Rookwood and Amycus returned from their mission a few hours later. As expected they had indeed encountered powerful magic in the forest and decided to go back the next day for the crystal.

"Don't bother," was Bellatrix response to this and they followed her into a room to find out what she meant. She later explained that she had done some more research on the subject and that she discovered the crystal in the forest was only a fake. Thus, they would have to look for the real one somewhere else. The three Death Eaters were both disappointed and relieved because none of them had been looking forward to returning to the forest.

The team of Death Eaters had a meeting that day to discuss how their next move. Bellatrix was staring out the window at nothing in particular, while her fellows were discussing the mission. She felt trapped. Trapped in this mission that she could not carry out, at least not successfully. A part of her regretted standing up to her master and refusing to return to the cave and try again. But another part of her, the part which all humans possess and which keeps them alive, made her feel she had done the right thing, the only thing worth doing, when she defied him. Now, she was a leader and while she listened to her team talking she realised she needed to act like one, she needed to lead. They were waiting for her to come with the perfect solution and, even though she did not have one yet, she was sure she wouldn't disappoint them. She turned and faced them.

"Bellatrix, what do you say?" asked Avery. "How shall go about this?" They were all looking at her expectantly and she felt both admired and pressured.

"I don't know," she answered honestly.

"I have to take the books back very soon before the Ministry finds out they're missing," said Rookwood.

Alecto was biting her lips considering something. "Bellatrix, we still have a hope. Rememeber the cave that we read about? It's very near the forest. We should go there."

Travers shrugged. "I guess it's worth a try."

This was exactly what Bellatrix had feared. She knew Alecto wouldn't forget about the cave and her blood froze in her veins when she thought about going there. But then another part of her, the evil one, told her that _she _needn't return there. In fact, she could very well send one of her cronies to do her bidding. After all, they seemed very pleased with the idea. For a few moments this thought had been tempting and refreshing but then again her goal was to find the crystal and the others would only die in the cave just like she, Yaxley and Dolohov almost did. Besides, she didn't want to send one of her friends to death.

"No," she said decidedly,"no one is going to the cave. It's too dangerous and it would only lead to some one's death."

They stared at her for a moment and the Alecto asked:

"More dangerous than the forest? Besides, how do you even know what's in there?"

"I am your leader and I will make the decisions. I don't want them questioned," she answered in a tone that accepted no contradiction.

"So "leader" what do you want - I'm sorry- what would you _order_ us to do?" asked Avery sarcastically.

"Well, I will study the books again tomorrow and-"

"We have already studied them," said Rookwood, "and found nothing that would help." His tone had been just as sarcastic and irritated as Avery's. What was wrong with them? She only wanted to protect them.

"Let's all just calm down," said Amycus in a friendly voice, "and listen to our leader here. Sister, when you have achieved as much as Bellatrix has then you can defy her." Bellatrix raised her eyebrows and was glad at getting some support. Amycus walked to her and put his arm around her shoulder. She wanted to flinch at first but didn't want to alienate him as well.

"I for one trust her," he said looking at her with a smile. "She's a very good witch and she's pretty too. I will do whatever she says."

He others did not look pleased and Alecto seemed ready to strangle her brother for not taking her side. Bellatrix was, for the first time in her life, a bit embarrassed and smiled awkwardly at him.

"T-Thank you, Amycus," she said. "The meeting is over for today. It's late and I'm sure you all have better things to do than sit here and argue with me. Go home, get some sleep, and I'll see you tomorrow."

Amycus gave her another, quite lecherous, smile and then followed the others out. Left alone, Bellatrix ran her fingers through her hair and decided to read the books one last time in hopes of finding something that would help them. But first she had to get some sleep as the clock was preparing to strike midnight. Reluctant to leave the room, she lied down on a red sofa to sleep there, for no more than a few hours. Being very tired, shutting her eyes for just a few seconds was enough for sleep to overcome her.

After a while -she wasn't fully awake yet- she thought she heard footsteps in the room. She opened her eyes and reached for her wand which was in her robe-pocket. Whoever was in the room was preparing to leave. She listened without making a move. The door was opened by the mysterious figure. She turned around but saw no one. The person had already Disapparated and she scorned herself for having reacted too late. She got up to see what damage the person had done. Everything seemed in order. Nothing was missing.

She gave a sigh of relief and sat at the table taking one of the heavy books in her arms to study it. Hours passed and nothing of importance was found. Just as she was ready to give up hope she turned the page and saw something that brought her immense joy: a map. A map which showed the way to the crystal, to the real one. She stared at it for a few long moments and felt a mixture of joy and suspicion. The map had not been there before. She was sure of it since she had been the one to read that book. The page had been blank then. Could it be possible that some charms had made the map invisible at that time only to reveal it to her now? But why now? She took her wand and cast a few spells on the page to make sure the map wasn't a fake. It turned out it wasn't. There was nothing fishy about it. The steps she had heard had probably been just a dream. Nothing had been taken from the room and it was quite improbable that someone would try to lure her by putting the map there.

Her joy at having found another lead got the best of her and she smiled and felt hopeful again.


	5. The cave

The next day had been eventful. Excited, Bellatrix had called a meeting with her team early in the morning and told them about the map. They, like her, seemed a bit suspicious at first but she then assured them that she had tried numerous and very powerful spells on the map to make sure it wasn't a fake and had no reason to doubt that it would take them to the crystal they sought. Afterwards, she assigned Amycus, Avery and Travers to find the crystal and finally complete the mission. They tore the map out of the book and were on their way.

It was evening and Bellatrix was waiting for her companions to return. Alecto was sitting next to her looking extremely nervous. She was always nervous when her brother was out on a mission. Despite the fact that Amycus was the way he was, they shared a very special bond and he had often proved himself to be a very protective and kind brother. Bellatrix thought about her and Narcissa and couldn't help feeling that she had failed at being a sister. The fact that Narcissa was not a Death Eater created a huge gap between them and whenever Narcissa would complain about something Bellatrix did, the latter would simply reply "these are issues you don't understand." Her sister's current situation worried Bellatrix. Narcissa and her husband had lost favour in the Dark Lord's eyes and Bellatrix feared for her safety. She hoped that by succeeding in this mission she and the Dark Lord would be on better terms and she would discuss the matter of her sister with him. But so far the Dark Lord hadn't been very amiable and she still shuddered when she remembered the last time she tried talking to him about Dolohov and Yaxley. The two Death Eaters were, as far as she knew, still alive but still imprisoned in the dungeons. Hopefully, the end of the mission would mean the end of their imprisonment. She sighed; so many things depended on this mission.

Footsteps were now heard approaching the chamber where the two women were sitting. Bellatrix felt her heart thudding in excitement and anticipation on hearing the good news. The door opened and inside stepped Rookwood looking grave.

"You'd better come to the hospital wing," he said and his look wasn't foreboding anything good.

The Death Eaters' quarters were a very large and old manor and in the eastern part of it there was a large drawing room that had become a sort of hospital. As Saint Mungo's was unavailable for them for obvious reasons, they had their own Healers and could get treatment for serious injuries and diseases.

When they got there they saw that only one bed was occupied and that by a man's body. A closer look told them that it was Avery. He had a burn mark on his face and a bandaged arm.

"Avery, what happened?" asked Bellatrix in a genuinely worried and almost scared tone.

Avery coughed before he answered.

"There was a fire," was all he managed to say.

"Where are the others?" Bellatrix asked although already knowing the answers. Avery didn't answer anything but shook his head. Bellatrix heard Alecto burst into a painful sob behind her. Alecto ran out of the room and Apparated into the chamber where they had previously sat. Bellatrix wished Avery a swift recovery and joined her.

"NO! Get away from me!" Alecto shrieked, tears in her eyes.

"Ally please," Bellatrix said desperately.

"No, you killed him. You sent my brother to his death. Don't come near me," she added seeing Bellatrix was trying to approach.

"Listen to me! I didn't know this would happen, I didn't want them to die anymore than you did-"

Alecto wasn't listening. "I knew you were hiding something," she said with malice in her wet eyes. "All that avoiding the cave- an obvious way to the crystal- and meeting with the Dark Lord talking Merlin knows what about… And now, now my brother is dead because of YOU. You sent him and the others there because you were to scared to go there yourself you-"

Alecto said something so awful that Bellatrix flinched and realised there was no way of consoling her. Her friend left the room slamming the door and Bellatrix knew their friendship had ended. She couldn't blame her. She had been stupid. The map had obviously been laid there by whoever was in the room that night. Who it was it didn't matter. Only the mission mattered. She could still succeed, she could still make everything right, and she could win back her comrades' respect. But there was only one way to do that. She would have to go through what she had dreaded so much the last few days. She would go into the cave. Alone. She would retrieve the real map and all would be well again, even better than before. Why had she feared the cave so much? It was the solution to all her problems.

The next day Bellatrix was prepared for her quest. She had slept badly all night dreaming of all sorts of horrors. The horrors of her dreams would be no worse than the horrors of the cave. But she was still ready to go. She didn't see any of her colleagues before she left and she assumed they were all in the hospital wing with Avery. She desired no companion on this journey even though she would have been happy if someone had offered to go with her; it showed that they still cared about her.

A quick Apparition brought her straight to the cave's entrance. It was a small entrance and she had to lean forward a little in order to get inside. She sighed and, trying not to remember what had happened to her the last time she had been there, went in.

Inside the cave she could stand properly. The walls were just as grey and cold as she remembered them. No bats dwelled in the cave. It was too evil. Green plants hanged from the walls and she turned around with her wand raised when one of them happened to brush her neck. She shivered but kept going. Her wand provided a very weak light. She had tried to make it stronger but magic didn't work properly in the cave.

The path she had been following split two ways. When she had been there with Yaxley and Dolohov they had gone right. Now she went left. If only she could get the map -the crystal would then be theirs.

She heard laughter and turned around with a gasp. No one was there. She walked on and heard it again. It was neither a female nor a male laughter it was something else and she did not want to know what.

"Take it easy," she said to herself. "You'll be fine. Everything will be all right." Hearing her own voice didn't calm her as much as she had expected. She heard a crack beneath her feet and saw that she had crashed a bone. Whatever lived in the cave must feed.

She advanced a while longer and was suddenly falling even though she had stepped on what had felt like solid ground. She screamed all the way down knowing she will die. But she fell on something soft that looked like a huge plant. Not inquiring further she kept going thanking her stars for surviving.

"If I die here no one will ever find me," she thought. She came to what looked like a large hall. The place was indeed spacious and the stones under feet had a smooth surface unlike the ones she had trod on before. She almost felt as though she was walking on clinker. The stones were a bit slippery though and she observed that they were wet. She didn't know where the water could come from.

Even though she felt a bit safer in here, she still couldn't spot the map. Her magic was now working better and the wand's much stronger light indicated an opening at the end of the room. She walked on, feeling more relaxed, when suddenly she felt frozen to the ground. She couldn't walk anymore. Her legs felt dug into the stone. Fear was no longer her only feeling. She felt deeply unhappy as though she would never be happy again. Only Dementors could make a person feel this way but Dementors were nowhere to be seen.

Bellatrix felt something flowing through her and relived her worst memories until the thing left her and she fell to the ground crying. But her pride was stronger than anything. She got up and went on not letting the cave defeat her with its horrors.

She was almost at the opening when she heard something. It was like a thud within the walls. Before she could react, furious water streamed in through the opening and filled the room. She was struggling knowing that she would drown. She had always been so afraid of water. As a child, she never bathed in the lake with her sisters. Her chest felt constricted, she couldn't breathe. There was nothing she could do. She inhaled. What filled her lungs was not water but air. The water was gone and she was now lying on the stone floor soaking wet and panting.

"Get up," said a cold voice which she recognized as the Dark Lord's. Her eyes were wide with surprise.

"W-What are you doing here?" she asked with obvious astonishment.

"I've followed you here and it's good that I have since you don't seem to be doing too well," he answered fixing her with his red eyes. "Your screams led me here."

"I'm here to get the map," she said expecting praise. It did not come.

"Oh," was all he said. "But you said you would never come back here."

"I know," she replied a bit ashamed at breaking her promise. "But there was no other way."

He smiled. "All your other plans went badly?" he asked.

"Yes."

He considered her for a moment than said, "Bellatrix, did you really expect to accept your betrayal and your disobedience?" She looked away and though, just as she had thought when he gave her the mission, that he wasn't done with her.

"I am a great leader Bella," he continued. "I know my servants. I know their weaknesses and their strengths. Your disobedience came unexpectedly. But I had the perfect punishment. Something that would hurt more than the Cruciatus: This whole experience was your punishment. Everything from arguing with your colleagues to failing again and again was my punishment. And it ended brilliantly just as I expected it to: With your coming here and obeying me. You thought coming here was on your initiative but it wasn't. I guided your steps here."

Everything had fallen into place now. Bellatrix felt angry and as though she wanted to hurt him for putting her through this.

"It went like this," he was getting ready to explain everything. "You will be relieved to know that you didn't fail at anything. I was the cause of all the misfortunes. I knew when I assigned you this mission that you couldn't complete it. I knew that the only way to get the crystal was by getting the map from the cave. So when you came to me saying that you knew where the crystal was I realised that it was a fake. I had two options. Either punish you when you came back with the fake one or letting you know that it was a fake. I chose the latter. Why? Because I knew exactly how your mates will react hearing that their efforts had been in vain. Hearing that their leader put them through dangers for nothing would cause them to rebel against you, just like you rebelled against me." He stopped for a while to allow her to take everything in. He was right. When her friends rebelled against her she felt exactly like he must have felt then. He went on.

"The next step was even more fun. I had to provide you with another lead as I knew, from hearing your conversation with Alecto, that you weren't convinced you had to come here. So I did. I was the one who gave you the false map; it was me you heard that night. I put powerful charms on it to make sure you wouldn't know it was a fake. So you see Bella, I sabotaged the mission in order to teach you a lesson."

Bellatrix was still angry with him even though she could understand why he had done all this. She felt relieved now. Her frustration was over and the mission would soon be over too. Something was still bothering her.

"What about the ones who died?" she asked in an angry tone. "Are you aware of the fact that two of your Death Eaters died?"

"Travers and Amycus are safe," he said. She raised her eyebrows in surprise and he continued, "I met them at the destination and told them of the plan. Avery wasn't with them at the time so he was convinced that they had perished in the fire I set. Thinking they were dead would have surely got you here. And it did."

Bellatrix was still dumbfounded at hearing all this but also happy that her colleagues were alive and that Alecto could forgive her in time.

"So what should we do now?" she asked feeling ridiculously calm even though she was still in the cave.

"We should get the map," he answered.

"Am I forgiven?" she asked. She was taking a chance now as she knew he did not easily forgive and certainly never forget.

"I think you have been punished enough," was his answer and she had to be content with it.

They went on together to finally complete the mission that had troubled both him and her for so long.


End file.
